Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers
by Wilsinn Soto
Summary: Nothing more than local vigilantes, five local heroes from separate cities are joined together to solve the mystery of a supposed meteor crash in Los Angeles.
1. Ep 1: Day of the Dumpster

**Day of the Dumpster**

**-Angel Grove-**

Angel Grove, 10 o'clock pm August 28, 1993. That was the day it all started. We had all met each other before. We did the big, "Wow, you too?" "Morphinaminal!" Then we realized how stupid that sounded and promised never to say it again.

I think we toyed around with actually teaming up but in the end who really wants to. Movies, TV and comic books make teaming up sound cool, but in the end, do you really want to give up your freedom to the obligations of a team. Especially when you have the Powers of a Ranger. Seriously doubt it.

And that brings up the first of many weird similarities we would discover along our journey and the years that followed August 28, 1993. The name Mighty Morphin' Power Ranger. It was no where imprinted on the power coin we all found. Which were in different locations mind you. We just all came up with the same name off the top of our heads without talking, seeing or even knowing each other.

We all got over it really quick though. Many of us had our own lives, family and friends back in our respected cities. The how and why of the power coins and their relationship to each other just didn't seem to matter. I, on the other hand, didn't have a home to return to. Born an orphan, please I don't need your pity, I'm fine, I decided to stay here in Angel Grove. Cost of living was cheap and so was rent. The Black Ranger would be the Protector of Angel Grove. As white as this town is, they'd shit in their pants if they found out a brother was their hero. But that is why I laugh my ass off whenever I hear them cheer for me.

So back to the night of August 28, 1993. Everything was going fine. I had been living in Angel Grove a year. I was on the roof top of a local video store. One of those rare privately owned ones you don't see much of anymore. I was doing my regular nightly patrols when suddenly I saw in the corner of my eye what looked like a falling star. That's pretty much where it ended for me. Seems insignificant I know. I was quickly distracted by some kids attempting to rob a convenience store over my radio com in my helmet. But later Kimberly would tell us it wasn't a falling star at all. No matter what the news said that next morning.

**-Los Angeles-**

I sometimes wonder how differently things would have turned out if let's say Billy found the dumpster. Funny how my description of it caught on amongst us quick. But seriously it looked like one of those old silver dumpsters before they came up with the black plastic ones.

Anyways, I seriously wish it would have crashed in Billy's city. I think he was in Seattle, I forget. He would have known what to do. At least he would have more of an idea than me. But no, of all places it had to land in L.A., my city. And close enough for me to reach before anyone. I didn't have a fucking clue. All I knew was that the next morning when I was getting ready for school and they said a meteor crashed into the parking lot of the Getty Center I was like, "Bullshit!"

See this is what happened. I was doing my nightly patrols. I had just bought myself a Pink Kawasaki Ninja 600R. See I'd been having some problems with the L.A.P.D. They hated my guts since I got them all in trouble with the media by busting a group of cops for drug trafficking. That bust turned into a domino effect leading to the arrest of over 100 police officers from 20 different precincts and 5 congressmen. Damn near got the Mayor involved but the slimy bastard weaseled his way out. I doubt he'll get re-elected though. So the bike was to help me get around faster. The coin helps my strength, agility, and speed but I still don't want to run around all the time. And don't tell anybody but I got the money for the bike by skimming a little money off from busting those cops. I know it's hypocritical but a girl deserves it for how many times she's protected the citizens.

So anyways, I was riding my bike around, listening to the police radio in my helmet when I heard a call about some domestic violence a couple miles from where I was at. The operator didn't seem to be getting any response from police officers. Guess the patrolmen in the area were pretending to be busy. I figured what the hell I'll check it out.

When I arrived it turned out to be what other officers probably figured it would be. A couple arguing loud late at night. Some neighbor was calling complaining about the noise. Such a waste of a Power Ranger's ability, a domestic dispute.

I walked up and there was a man yelling up at the bedroom window as a woman was throwing his cloths and what looked like video cassettes and CDs out. So cliché.

"Just open the door and let's talk," the man yelled!

"No," she screamed as she sat on the window sill throwing out a box that opened up in mid air and a bunch of magazines fell out. "I'm tired of hearing the same excuses from you!"

I walked up and glanced at one of the magazines and broken video cassettes on the ground. They were porn. The man looked at me as I came up to him. He looked confused and upset.

"Who are you suppose to be," he asked with a sarcastic tone. "A pink Uma Thurman? You here to kill Bill?"

… alright, alright! He didn't say that last part. I know that movie wasn't out yet. But I imagine that is what he would say today.

"What's going on," I asked. "It's like 3 in the morning and you guys are screaming."

"She found my porn collection and is freaking out," he said lowering his head in embarrassment.

I was surprised. I was expecting cheating, sleeping around. I was half waiting for her to throw some bitch out next. I looked up and now joined the screaming match. I have a loud speaker built into my helmet too so now no one would be sleeping for sure.

"Seriously," I yelled up at the girl who was now looking embarrassed herself. "Porn? People are going to go to work tomorrow without their 8 hours of sleep because you're dumb enough to be shocked your husband…"

"Um boyfriend," The man corrected me.

"Your boyfriend watches porn," I continued. "Get your stupid ass down here and let him in."

Before anyone could react there was a loud BOOM! Followed by what felt like a violent Earthquake. The man next to me was knocked to the ground and the woman in the window lost her balance and fell out the window. I managed to maintain my footing and used the jets in my boots to force myself forward and catch the woman before she hit the ground.

When I turned around everyone was coming out of their house asking questions.

"What was that," I heard.

"It came from over there."

"Was it a bomb?"

"No it came from over there."

"I think it was a meteor."

"Yeah I saw something in the sky."

"Maybe it was a spaceship."

I started looking around and saw smoke in the distance.

The woman I yelled at then saved pointed, "I saw it fall over there by the Getty Center."

In my helmet I heard the operator dispatching cops to that area as well. So I ran to my bike. As I rode off I heard the boyfriend say, "Damn it! Now we are both locked out!"

I got to the bottom of the hill on the 405 freeway with my bike and used the jets in my boots to get to the top. I could hear sirens in the distance so I knew I wouldn't have much time. I don't think I believed I knew what I would do once I got there. I was being motivated by curiosity. I just wanted to know what it was that crashed.

When I got up there my nerves were killing me. The anticipation of walking towards the fire and smoke. The feeling of being rushed cause the sirens were getting louder and closer. My suit was fire proof so I walked through it and right to… again what looked like a silver dumpster.

At first I was almost disappointed. Then I touched it. My gloved protected my hands, but I could still feel the heat and feel that this was no dumpster. See, I can tell the difference. This thing felt solid. Then curious. It was hard to see with all the smoke but there seemed to be an inscription on the lid and what would be the handle looked like a Maltese Cross.

Then I heard the cops arrive. I looked back and through the fire I could see the cops coming out of their cars and the fire truck and ambulance arriving.

Then I heard one of the cops yell, "Hey, it's that Ranger!"

I attempted to lift the thing and take it with me but found it was way too heavy and the cops were now drawing their guns and trying to surround me.

I heard one come over their loud speaker, "Stay where you are!"

"Fuck this," I said to myself and flew out of there.

I got back to my bike. I could hear a bunch of yelling but I didn't look back. I even turned off my helmet radio and went home.

**-Seattle-**

I remember thinking, "Why not me?" Every exciting thing happens some place I am not. God I hate Seattle. I keep saying I'm going to move but I never do. 2 years since I graduated high school and still I stay here.

My mornings usually consisted of sleeping. I'd usually get home from patrolling around 5 am to 6 am. Sleep in till 11, 11:30am. Then lay around my apartment till it was time for class. I always schedule my classes in the afternoon.

Although that day I didn't have any classes. Well, I had one class but it was… eh. To tell you the truth I was more interested in going to L.A. at that point. My worst fear since I obtained the coin was seemingly coming true. It was changing me. I use to be so responsible. I took my studies serious. Now, they didn't seem as important. I was becoming more reckless. Motivated by my whim and curiosity.

A part of me wanted to put my foot down and go to class, but the Blue Ranger inside of me won over and I morphed. With that I flew to L.A.

The news report said the meteor crashed in the parking lot of the Getty Center. So that is where I went. When I got there the entire place was surrounded. Cops everywhere. People in suits and pant suits walking around, talking to each other and ordering people in uniform around. I stayed hiding from a distance. The Pink Ranger warned me L.A. wasn't friendly to our kind.

I used my Helmet to zoom in and take pictures. I saw paramedics caring body bags into ambulances. I began zooming in as close as I could scanning the area. The meteor hole in the ground looked like a regular hole, minus the meteor. At the time I just figured I got here too late and they had already picked it up. Seemed quick but I didn't give it a second thought.

I wasn't going to get any closer with the area so busy, so I decided to take a break. Hit the city, get something to eat and check back once the area was cleared.

I occasionally checked in throughout the day and it wasn't till after midnight that they cleared the area. I was expecting guards or officers posted on all ends to the parking lot. But nothing. I got to where I remember the crash being and it was all gone. The area was clean, repaved and repaired.

"Weird, huh," I heard behind me.

I looked and it was the Pink Ranger. She walked passed me. It looked as if she were scanning the area too.

"Yeah," I responded, trying not to look like she startled me. "You would think a thing like this would be preserved for further investigation."

She nodded, "That's what I thought."

I turned up the sensitivity of my scanner in hopes of penetrating the pavement but an odd occurrence. The soil was fresh.

"They dug up the dirt," I said. More to myself.

"I don't mean to be a bitch," She said. "But this is my city. Why are you here?"

"Originally to just see the meteor crash," I answered. "But now I think I've stumbled onto to something."

"Well, whatever it is I can handle it," She said. She sounded like a brat. Her voice had a slight squeak. Like nails on a chalk board. "I really don't need someone else getting in the way."

I looked at her and she was still scanning the area.

"Do you even know how to use that scanner," I asked.

She stopped walking around and spun to face me. I think I insulted her.

"I know how to use it," She answered, then seems to think about it. "I just check out what ever turns red."

I laugh. Responds to what turns red! God this one must be blonde.

"What," She yells. "That's how it works."

"Yeah, "I laugh. "That's how it works on automatic. Basically you have it on training wheels."

"So," she says defensively.

I started to feel bad for her so I cut the jokes.

"Sorry," I said. "I guess everyone can't be a science nerd like me and know the names of the chemicals and stuff."

I began scanning the areas that weren't paved around the parking lot. The cracks in the pavement. Anything they might have missed. I was walking around and the Pink Ranger just followed me around. Scanning the area too. She was coming off really childish. I was beginning to wonder how old she was.

"I may not know all that technical stuff but I took down a police force," she said sounding proud.

"Yeah I remember hearing about that on the news," I said.

"And that was with my training wheels on," She said.

"I'm sorry about that comment," I said. Hoping it would shut her up.

"I've saved a lot of people from danger," She continued on.

I was scanning trees around the parking lot, trying to ignore the Pink Ranger, when I came across something.

"Why is there blood at a meteor crash site," I whispered to myself.

"My God," She yelled. "Why do people keep saying that?"

I looked back at her. If she could see my face, she would have seen the face of a really annoyed man.

"What else should they call it," I asked.

"It wasn't a meteor," She said.

"How do you know," I asked.

"I was the first one here," She answered. "I saw what crashed and it was definitely no meteor."

I stood up now giving her complete attention.

"Why didn't you mention this at first," I asked, suspicious she was putting one over on me.

She shrugged, "'Cause, you come here acting like you know everything. Making fun of me. Made it seem like I wouldn't have anything to offer you."

"What was it," I asked.

She shrugged again, "I don't know. It was metal and looked really old. Like an Antique. Looked like a dumpster from the old days. Those metal ones."

I laughed, "A garbage can crashed to the ground?"

"It just had that look," she said. Sounding frustrated that I laughed at her. "And it had some writing on it and a cross as a handle."

Now this was getting interesting. "What kind of writing," I asked.

"I couldn't read it," she said, pausing. As if she stayed still enough it would magically come to her. "Looked like that language they write the bible in."

"Hebrew," I asked, not really believing it.

"Yeah," she yelled all excited.

I thought about it for a second. I really wish this thing crashed in my city. I could have been the first on the scene rather than Blossom here. I don't know why but my gut was telling me I had to figure out what really happened here.

-**Fort Huachuca, Arizona-**

Fort Huachuca, Arizona. New home, at least at the time, of The United States Army Intelligence Center. I got in thanks to my father who was the Commander of at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

I remember as a child I was always curious of how things are and why they are. I enjoyed characters like Indiana Jones, Don Quixote, and Marco Polo. I was fascinated by the stories about the age of Exploration. I sometimes felt I was born too late. Everything now is paved on or built a building on it. Everything to discover has been discovered I felt.

I expressed this to my dad once. One of the rare times I had a chance to sit down with him. And he said if I wanted to learn about life and discover its mysteries, military intelligence was the way to go. As much as I tried to correct him and reiterate what I said, from there on out he was on a mission. "My son, Thomas Oliver, will go to Army Intelligence."

So here I was. First day and confused as hell. I just finished basic training so if you have been through that before you can understand what I was feeling. Just waiting for someone to give you an order so you can feel like you have a purpose.

I had one big green duffle bag and a CD walkman when I entered the building. I scanned the area and saw a front desk so I walked over there. Everyone seemed so busy I had to draw attention to myself.

"Excuse me ma'am," I said as professional as I could sound.

The girl, who couldn't have been any much older than me, turned to face me as if I had just disturbed her. "What do you need," she asked.

"I'm sorry, I just arrived and was wondering where I check in," I stated.

She looked around as if I had just said the most ridiculous thing and was wondering if anyone else had heard it. "That's going to have to wait," she said. "We are all getting ready for the assembly in…," she checked her watch and rolled her eyes. "In like 10 minutes."

I was surprised. I hadn't heard of any assembly. "Am I suppose to go to that?"

She let out a laugh, "If you intend to attend this school you should." She then turned to finish what she was doing. I called for her attention.

"I don't mean to bother but can I at least stick my bag behind the counter there till after," I asked.

She rolled her eyes again and waved me around as if she were doing me a favor. I have never hated a person so quickly after meeting them as I hated her. And I didn't even know her name yet.

The Assembly hall was huge. You could hold concerts in here. Thousands of seats filled the circular room surrounding the stage in the middle.

I was still hot and sweaty from the bus drive over. Wearing my military dress uniform like a moron. "Dress to impress," my dad said. As I stare around, everyone was in their BDU's. Some people didn't even look like they combed their hair this morning.

Everyone quieted down as a man took the mic.

"Thank you all for showing up at such late notice," he said. "I know we surprised everyone just announcing this assembly early this morning."

That explained it.

"We had a surprise last night with Gen. Luis Smith being given orders to Alaska," he said. "It was short notice but we now have a new Commander and she would like to say some words. I want you all to welcome Brig. Gen. Rita Rea."

I sat now bored. This was going to be a speech about how she plans on making some changes, how she's here to make everyone's life better, her office is always open. I was a military brat, I've been to a bunch of these.

It got interesting when I saw her stand up and saw how short she was. I was kind of far up in the stands but I think she was Asian or Mexican, it could be hard to tell some times.

"Hello," she addressed the room. "I'm Brig. Gen. Rita Rea and I've been assigned as the new Commander for this Base."

And the speech pretty much went like I expected. Nothing really out of the ordinary. She announced some missions that had fallen on her desk and she would be posting for volunteers within the week. She also announced, for us students, changes to the curriculum. Nothing really out of the ordinary.

**-New York, Ny-**

New York City, NY. Home of the Red Ranger. Also home of the future Middle Weight Champion of the UFC. As soon as I could get a submission accepted. Last year when I graduated high school I promised that by know I would be a professional Fighter. That didn't quite work out.

If one I could use my Ranger powers on the match. Damn would I kick ass. But then that would give me away and probably get me in trouble. NYPD already has a warrant out for my arrest. Vigilantes aren't exactly legal. I say if the laws weren't designed to protect the criminal then I wouldn't have to be out there every night protecting innocent bystanders from crooks, rapist, and murderers. I praise the day I got that power ring. Who knows where I would be today, and I don't want to find out.

August 29, 1993. I was again out of work. I was fighting in local tournaments and shows. I'd sometimes do wrestling to pay the bills. I also did temp work, working warehouses and stuff. I didn't want to take any permanent job for fear it would interfere with my fighting. So all I had to do that morning was watch TV.

I had gotten in late from a really boring night of patrolling. Every call I intercepted that night was gone by the time I got there or cops were already on scene. So I got home around 6am and passed out on the couch with the TV on.

I woke up only an hour later to the news coverage of some meteor crash in L.A. I tried to fall back to sleep but it struck my interest. "When did this happen?" I thought. "Where in L.A?" "Was anyone hurt?"

Pretty soon I just sat up and watched. I had a VCR set up in at all times to record in case something like this came on the news. My early version of a TiVo. So I grabbed my remote and pressed record. I watched and they explained how no one was hurt and officials were checking the area. Clean up was in progress and the meteor had been moved to a nearby government facility.

But then I caught something in the background. Blue Ranger. I jumped out of my seat and leaned forward, but they changed angles. I waited for them to cut back but they cut to commercial instead. So I stopped recording and pressed play. I rewinded to the spot and it was blurry but definitely looked like Blue Ranger.

What was he doing in L.A.? That was Pink's city. Whatever it was, it appeared this crash was more than it appeared to be.

I had nothing tying me down here. So I decided to find out for myself. I went to the Air Port and bought a ticket to L.A.

**-Chicago-**

And finally me. Trini. The Yellow Ranger. And yes I am cliché. I protect China Town in Chicago, IL. But my reasons for such a decision is mainly 'cause this part of town is rarely policed by the CPD and crime runs ramped.

How I ended up in L.A. was slightly different to the rest. I didn't hear about the meteor crash. I was busy. Tracking a mysterious man who was investigating me.

I had caught wind of it by a local snitch of mine. It all started when I stopped a robbery of a neighborhood Check Cash.

"Hands up," yelled the robber.

A couple years later I would find the surveillance tape on an episode of "America's Dumbest Criminals." But I digress.

He aims the gun at the bullet proof glass. Now I'm not here yet but from watch it on TV I saw him. At this point it is as if he notices how stupid he looks. Now from the angle of the camera you can see the girl behind the counter lower her hand carefully and push the button. Now give it about 10 seconds and that is when I heard the call and I wasn't that far away.

So then, realizing what a lack of a threat he was he quickly grabs Liu Xiang, my snitch who was cowering in a corner. The robber puts the gun to Liu's head and begins making threats to shoot Liu if the money isn't given to him.

After an exchange of words and the robber shooting a shot to the floor, to display his seriousness, you see the girl gather the money and make her way to the door to the lobby. The robber starts walking over to meet her at the door which is parallel to the front door. The girl cracks the door open when I come flying in using the jets in my boots. The girl dives back into the room, Liu is knocked to the floor as I grab the robber by the head and slam him into the bullet proof glass knocking him out cold.

It was your regular hooray. The press arrived and interviewed me. The public praised me. Then I could hear the sirens which meant I had to leave. Cops hated being shown how worthless they are.

But I wasn't done. I caught up with Liu in the alley.

"You alright," I asked.

"Jes, Jes," Liu said. He had a strong accent. "I need to talk to jou. There is a man looking for jou."

"Who," I asked curiously. Why would someone be looking for me?

"I don't know," Liu answered shaking his head. He always looked nervous. "He was asking if I knew who you were, and then asking me tings like where you go and where I see you."

"You know where he is now," I asked.

Liu handed me a card to a hotel, "He said if I found you to call him here."

It was a Holiday Inn just outside of China Town.

The next morning, I was posted on the roof top across the street from the entrance. I had Liu at my side to point him out. Around 10:00am he walked out.

"That's him," He pointed.

He was bald, looked to be about 6'5 300lbs. He was a big boy.

"Thanks," I said to Liu as I ran to get to the bottom.

Whoever it was he was entering a cab and I didn't want to miss him. I had my car parked downstairs, so I powered down, jumped in my car and followed the cab.

He led me to the Air Port. I followed him in my civvies to the Los Angeles terminal. I was at a dilemma. I had no money to buy a ticket. I was broke. I just spent most of my money for some new shoes. But I had my Dad's credit card. "For emergency use only," he told me.

I think this constituted an emergency. So I bought it.

**-Los Angeles-**

Angel Grove wasn't that far from L.A. so I jumped in my car and drove my happy ass to the site. Like Jason would tell me later, I also saw the Blue Ranger in the news segment and was curious what he was up to.

When I met Bill for the first time I knew he was a smart guy, so he wouldn't be invading Kim's turf for no reason.

I had some loose ends to tie up before I left. I was a single guy so I had to pay my rent, pay my bills. It was the end of the month and I wasn't sure how long this was all going to take. I wanted a roof and electricity when I got back. I worked for a Dot-Com Company at the time so my laptop was my job. This was way before the bubble so it was a good living.

I ended up arriving pretty late. There they all were arguing.

"What are you all doing here," yelled Pink.

"I came here 'cause I saw Blue make an appearance on the morning news," said Red.

I decided to make that my intro. "That's funny," I said walking towards the group. "That's why I came."

Everyone looked back as I entered the circle.

"Jesus," yelled Pink. "The Black one too?"

"Is that a racist statement," I blurted out.

There was a moment of silence and then I realized why.

"Are you really black," Yellow asked with a laugh that told me she already made her conclusion. I heard chuckles amongst the rest.

I got a bit defensive and fired back, "So what, you're probably yellow 'cause you're Asian."

Yellow got quiet then it was my turn to laugh, "Ha! You are!"

Red quickly took control, "Alright, alright, Black's black 'cause he's black. Yellow's yellow cause she's Asian. Pink's pink cause she's a brat…"

"Hey," yelled Pink.

Red just continued down the line, "Blue's probably blue cause he never gets laid, and I'm Red 'cause I'm a hot stud. "

"Fuck you," I said.

Red just ignored me and went on listening to himself talk, "We came here 'cause we all were curious about this meteor thing."

"It wasn't a meteor," Pink again with the yelling. "Why won't anyone listen to me?"

"Pink says it was an object of some kind," Blue explained.

"It looked like a dumpster," Pink said. "One of those old silver ones with the lid."

Red laughed, "Maybe someone was just throwing out the trash at the space station."

He made everyone else laugh causing Pink to pout and cross her arms.

"But seriously," Blue said. "Something weird is going on. They cleaned this mess up way to fast and the news says there were no injuries but when I was here this morning I saw them taking out a bunch of body bags."

"How many," Red asked.

"I saw 6 or 7 but there could have been more," Blue explained. "Plus I found blood on some of the trees around here."

Yellow tapped her foot impatiently then spoke up, "This is great and I wish you all good luck with this. I'm going to go. I actually didn't know anything about this. I was following someone and they led me here. I kind of lost them."

Everyone looked at each other. We all seem to get the same feeling. Blue just put it in perspective.

"Someone conveniently led you here," he asked.

And as if on cue a large man stepped out of the darkness. We all turned startled, caught off guard. He had one arm raised in surrender and the other pouring water out of a bottle over his head. It was cold outside so it couldn't be the heat.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he said. "I'm here as a friend." He wore a long black trench coat with the collars all wet.

Of course Red stepped forward to speak, "What do you want?"

I heard Yellow whisper to Red, "That's the guy I was following."

He whispered back, "Yeah, I figured."

"My name is Zordon," he introduced himself. "Those coins you are using are mine."


	2. Ep 2: Origins Part 1

**Origins: Part 1**

**-The Coins-**

Millions..., maybe billions of years ago… Not even I remember and I was there. Just a long time ago, in a place Plato called Atlantis. Its original name doesn't matter. All of us who survived vowed never to utter its name again. So Atlantis is what we will call it.

It was a good place. Like all societies it had its issues, but for the most part it was paradise. We were a people of mostly peace. Descended and evolve from a similar lineage as you, the ape. Back then it wasn't an insult to say you were descended from an ape, monkey, whatever you want to call us. We didn't discriminate against differences back then. At least not my people. There was no such thing as race back then. Only species. We had traced our lineage to an aquatic ape. It was a type of monkey with gills. Where we got our gills. Much like your society searchs for its origins, further explorations and expeditions went on looking for the origins of the aquatic ape. We had questions like, where did he come from, how did we get from him to us? And there were also theories like we evolved from the Whale, and outrageous claims that we were the results of an unholy union.

You guys were there too, but not yet fully evolved. You were still primitive. Hunter gatherers. You lived on the out skirts of our society. Later, when we began to explore the rest of the world, we found you guys all over the place. We found your species very similar to our own. We considered you cousins. I don't think we ever figured out exactly which lineage of ape you evolved from. By the time explorers and scientist began to show interest in your kind it was too late.

In those days we and you were not the only ones on Earth. In the southern hemisphere ruled a species called the Annunaki. They were an arrogant reptilian species. At the time they enslaved another race that claimed to come from the heavens, another planet. They were very secretive. They even kept their species name a secret. Constantly changing it to the point you couldn't believe a thing they said. Whether the Annunaki knew where they came from is also not known for sure. But today you call them The Greys.

The Greys claimed to be on this planet for, at the time, thousands of years before us. They were very smart and very advanced in their thinking. One story they told was that they came here as settlers, escaping pursicution from another civilization. Another story they told was that they crashed here and were stranded until they could find the material to match things they needed to repair their ship and return home.

The Greys may have been smart but warriors they were not. They were taken over by the Annunaki and now worked for them. At first it seemed more like a partnership. The Annunaki supplied them with protection from the outside world and in exchange the Greys taught them technological secrets. But slowly the Annunaki began to tighten the grip on them. Taking away freedoms, such as time for themselves to explore and repair their ships. They began to be forced to invent things such as weapons and tools the Annunaki demanded.

As we the Atlanteans began to explore the rest of the world, the Annunaki began to explore also. Exactly when our paths crossed, much like the ways of history, is debateable. Many Atlantean expeditions were going on around the time and many people had stories of different peoples they discovered and came across. One thing is for sure, by the time we did know of them, it was clear, whether we liked it or not, we were in a power struggle for control of the world.

Atlanteans wanted to teach your kind so we could trade. Many of the lands you inhabited had resources unavailable to us. Climates different than ours. The Council of Seven, at the time, agreed that your kind was a possible ally and resourse if we could educate you to our level. But the Annunaki saw your kind as simply a resourse and choose to conquer the lands rather than, as the Atlanteans did, introduce ourselves and make friends.

Many times, an Atlantean explorer would arrive at a land where Annunaki had already landed and got run off the land. Chased back to their boat. Their life threatened. Since Atlantis did not have an army, we were unable to fight back. Soon that would change.

One of the Greys escaped and made their way to Atlantis and begged conference with the Council of Seven. He wanted protection and for his people to be freed of the Annunaki, in exchange he offered us information on the Annunaki and technology to fight them. The Council agreed and he gave us 4 sets of coins, 6 coins in each set. The first two, the Grey said, were design using dna of the ancestors of the Annunaki. They were designed to enhance the users abilities using the elements of the ancient beasts. The third set was inspired, he said, from their exploration of a land in the far east. The set, in a way, downloaded the knowledge of fighting skills into the user. Like a computer chip. Even if the user had no previous knowledge or ability of fighting.

The fourth set, the grey said, was their prize possesion. It was designed to harness the elemental spirits of the Earth itself. It used Cystals they called "Zeo Crystals". These crystals acted like antenas and the coins being like the remote control, giving the user the ability to defy the laws of the Earth. The limit of the power only limited by the imagination of the user, or so he said.

The information he gave us was horrifing. The Annunaki were ordering the Greys to do experiments on the Humans they found in these lands. He said they were searching to create an army that would be unstoppable. Mixing the human species with Annunaki and other species. The goal was to conquer the entire planet by force, including Atlantis.

Prior to this time we had never had use for an Army. I was in charge of security of the City. I over saw the construction of the city walls. They were impenetrable. At least that is what I believed. The Grey told us that was not true. He informed us that they had designed weapons that could certainly destroy our walls.

Being the closest thing to a military general they had, The Council of Seven charged me with putting an army together using these coins. With council from the Grey refuge, I put together a regular army, as large as I could make it. Then put together 4 special teams. Teams that could be sent in on special missions. The army being the distraction, the coin users being the trigger.

And it worked. We were able to save many of the Greys and your kind, the humans. We were able to defeat many of the Annunaki Armies and force them out of the lands. As we moved on we would leave someone behind to protect from a retaliating Annunaki. Many times we simply left the greys in charge with a military force.

But all was not as it seemed. The Greys we saved began to join our society. Years and generations went by and they would continue warning us of more threats by the Annunaki. Wars with them continued and grew. Sometimes even attacking Annunaki Cities in their home land as a preemptive strike. The Greys began to make us weapons and tools for our attacks on the Annunaki.

As new faces sat on the seats of the Council of Seven, we began to see Council Members who saw themselves more like rulers of Atlantis rather than servants of the people. They concerned themselves with expanding Atlantis to new lands and warding off those ruthless Annunaki.

And the attitude rubbed off on the people of Atlantis. They concerned themselves less with what the Council was doing and occupied their time with the new resources coming in from the new lands being discovered or added to Atlantis. New woods, new skins from animals unheard of before. Humans even began to be brought in as "help" to make our lives more easy. They weren't considered slaves since we feed and housed them. It was consided a good deed in fact since we would be bringing them in to "civilize" them. Even though their permission was never asked, you were having them do your house work, and you purchased them like a product.

The wars were many, and so many people died, that we began to use your species to fill our military, and so did the Annunaki. It began to be Atlantean, Human, Greys, against Annunaki, Human, and Greys. I began to see how mad it all seemed. I pleaded with the Council of Seven, in which by this time 2 Greys had taken seats, that an end to the wars needed to be found. Children were dying, our numbers were decreasing. The wars were killing our peaceful society. Head of the Council, Rita Rea, delivered the verdict, I was found unfit to lead the armies and I was removed.

Determined to find an end to the wars, I traveled to the land of the Annunaki, now southern Mexico, and requested conference with their leader, Lord Zedd. He accepted my request. Although when I arrived he was not hospitable. He was bitter and angry and I couldn't blame him. Most of the territory they previously inhabited was now in control of Atlantis. Even lands that were originally theirs. The population of his people were near extinction. He was under the impression that we were trying to wipe out his species. And that is when I figured it out. It was infront of me the whole time.

On the seats of his advisory sat mostly Greys. The Greys were playing us both. I tried to reason with Lord Zedd. Tell him of my suspisions of the Greys, but he wouldn't hear of it. The Greys had warned him of my lies prior to my arrival.

I decided to return home. Maybe Rita Rea would listen to me. This had to stop. Fear and Arrogance had crept its way into our society and was eatin at our souls.

Terrible winds, rain, and thunder accompanied me on my travel back to Atlantis. I found it on being the time of year it was. No purpose saying when it was. Seasons were different back then. And how we told time was different also. But I gave it no second thought. My main concern was my well being and alive. As far as I knew, I was the only one with this information and I had to make it back alive.

What should have taken me 2 weeks, took me 2 months to return. The weather was bad and many of the normal routes were flooded. But once I finally did arrive... well, you can say I never did arrive. What should have been the road to Atlantis was now a beach. I took a boat and traveled the waters for days but it was no use. The entire state of Atlantis was gone.

**Rita Repulsa Rea**

"The only people who survived were people who weren't in the capital city at the time," Zordon said. "Well, all except for Rita Rea."

The Rangers looked at each other all remainding silent for a moment.

Finally Jason answered, "Is this your way of saying you want the coins back?"

"'Cause if that's the case...," Kimberly started.

But Zack decided to finish, "You can kiss our ass."

"Yeah," everyone else except for Bill joined in.

"That's not what I'm saying," Zordon tried to explain.

"Well, that's what is sounds like," Trini responded.

Bill raised his hand for everyone to back off as he stepped out from behind everyone to face Zordon.

"With all do respect," Bill said. "You can respect our suspisious nature to your approach. You claim ownership to our power coins and telll us a fantastic story,which... I'm sorry to say sounds very far fetched. Science simply doesn't support it."

There was a moment of silence as Zordon searched for the words to respond, "Yet science supports the existence of your power coins."

The Rangers looked to Bill for an answer.

"He has a point," Bill had no choice but to respond.

"I have simply come to ask your help in protecting this world," Zordon answered. "I know what crashed here and know what is to come next if we don't act now."

"You know what crashed here," Kimberly asked.

"Yes," Zordon answered. "It was Rita Rea, or what she was later known by Rita Repulsa."

The Rangers brusted out laughing. Zordon lowered his head waiting for them to stop laughing.

"She purposely called herself that," Zack asked between breaths.

"How stupid," Kimberly said.

"Now I know your lyiing," Jason said. He started to walk away, giving up on the whole situation. Everyone else began to follow suit.

Zordon tried to call out to them, "She didn't name herself that!" But no one looked back. Then he quietly finished his sentence, even though they were all out of hearing range, "the name was given to her."


	3. Ep 3: Origins Part 2

**Origins: Part 2**

**-Mastodon-**

I started to walk down the long path back to my car. I was tempted to power down but the last thing I need was for one of these yahoos to know who I really was. So I decided to walk the rest of the way as the Black Ranger.

As I walked down I started to reflect. That guy Zordon's story made me think about when I first found my power coin.

It was two years ago. My grandmother was still alive. My mom died giving birth to me. I'm not sure what was wrong with her, but she was warned against having a child. Aparently something about her physiology prevented her from being able to withstand labor. But my mom was a strong Catholic and when she found out she was pregnant she refused to have an abortion. She believed if God allowed her to be pregnant, then so it would be. She also insisted on natural child birth. Anything else, she believed, was not from God. My Dad tried to talk her out of it, but my Mom was strong in her beliefs. She said, "If God wants me to die giving birth, then that is what God wants.

Well, I guess God wanted her dead, 'cause I grew up with my Grandmother. After the death of my mom, apparently my Dad couldn't take it and he decided to join her. I sometimes stare at the picture of them in the living room and wonder if they ever met up in the afterlife.

The death of my parents was hard on my grandmother too. She became an atheist after their deaths. She couldn't understand how a God would allow such a faithful woman to come to such a tragic end.

Me, I'm not sure. I guess you can consider me a agnostic. God or no God, I don't care either way.

So at the time, when I got my coin, I lived in Republic, Washington. The Whitest motherfucken' town this side of reality. Okay, that is probably an exaggeration but it is pretty damn white. I grew up there due to my Dad. After I was born and my mom died, he took a job at the Stonerose Interpretive Center and Fossil Site. It was some special project an old friend of his needed his expertise on. Not sure what it was about or if he even finished helping his friend or not. Doesn't matter and it certainly didn't matter to my dad. All I know is that he left me and my grandma there.

Life was not going so well for me at the time. I was suppose to move to Seattle after graduating High School, but the night before my Graduation my grandmother was rushed to the hospital due to a heart attack. I was now stuck in Republic taking care of her.

I think she felt bad about me not being able to go to school because she never spoke of it. Once in a while she would ask me about my plans for the future and I would tell her about my dreams in which she would tell me to forget about her and just pursue them. I would tell her I could never forget about her and that would be the end of the conversation.

Now that I've brought you up to speed, the day I found the coin. It was my day off and I had dedicated the day to rummaging through the house. I was preparing for a garage sale. The medical bills were killing us. I didn't make enough and my grandmother's social security definately wasn't enough. I decided to sell some of the crap we had in the house for food and other necessities. My grandmother agreed to it under the strict condition that whatever went into the "For Sale" section went through her first.

I was on my way outside to throw some crap in the trash, which trash also had to go through grandma, when the nurse, Angela, was walking up to the house. Oh Angela. I loved her. See, we had a nurse come by the house every other day around noon to check on grandma. She was like a Nubian Princess. Her skin looked so soft and smooth. Perfect build. Not so big but definately not to skinny. And I must say, an ass that would make a white man say, "Damn!" My grandfather would say, "Look at the pooder on that one!" He grew up in the south.

But she had no interest in me. I was 18 at the time and she was 22. I looked like a baby to her.

"Hey, Zack," she said as she passed me and started to head in.

I turned, trash bag in hand, to say hi,"Hi, how are you?"

She turned and hovered in the door for a moment, "Good and you?"

"Good," I replied, searching for more to say but I couldn't think of anything.

"I'm gonna check on your grandma," She said as she disappeared into the house.

I dropped the bag of trash and ran up to the door to catch her, "Hey," I called out, catching her half way through the living room. She turned and looked at me.

"I was going to order a pizza in a bit," I said. "Want some? On me."

She smile and shook her head, "I can't stay that long, but thanks." She continued on her way.

I turned back outside and there was Richi laughing.

"That was so sad," He said. "See that is why she won't fuck you. You're sad."

I flipped him off, grabbed my trash bag and headed for the trash bin. He followed me.

"You were suppose to be here 2 hours ago," I said, ignoring his comment.

"Yeah, but then most of the work wouldn't have been done already," he sounding like a complete ass who was trying to make it sound like a joke but he and you knew that deep down inside, it was exactly what he set out to do.

We walked inside the house and I led the way upstairs to the attic.

"See this way years from now you won't remember that I was late, but you will remember that I was here and assume that I helped you," he said laught at his own joke. He was the only one.

"Shut the fuck up, Richie," I said as we reached the top of the stairs. I pointed at stack of boxes. "Do me a favor and take those boxes down to the trash. I still have to go through these boxes."

"All right," Richie said and got to it.

I looked back surprised that he jumped right to it without a word to contest it. But oh well, I thought and went to looking through the last of the boxes up here. I opened a box that my grandmother warned me about before I started up here.

"There's a box of your fathers upstairs," she said, with a tone that you already knew what was coming. "That we save. Don't even think about selling that stuff."

But when I opened it I immediately thought the opposite.

"Holy shit," I thought, or said out loud. I was to excited to notice. "Look at this shit!"

The last part I must have said out loud cause Richie heard me as he was coming upstairs and mistook it for me talking to him.

"What," he said running up behind me. Then he saw it, "Fuck! You hit a gold mine!"

It was a bunch of old, really old artifacts. Just by looking at it you knew they were old and priceless. Some bones, fossils, small sculptures, and a notebook full of coins. A few I recognized from the history channel as from the Roman Empire.

I think back now and wonder why I didn't notice the Mastodon coin right there. But I didn't. Guess at the moment I more thinking about how much money I could get for this stuff.

"You could get a lot of money for this stuff," Richie said.

I shook my head, "My grandmother doesn't want me to sell this stuff."

"Fuck her," he said.

I gave him a quick look of death. He raised his hands in surrender.

"No offense, Zack," He said. "But you guys have a lot of bills and this could help."

I had to admit, Richie had a point.

Later that night I went in the phone book and looked up a local collector of old artifacts and told him of my find. Over the phone I described what I and he wasn't interested in anything but the coins. So I set up a day to meet.

I didn't want my grandmother to know what I was doing so I told her I had to work that day. She was suspicious being that I never worked on Saturday but I gave her a story how there was a lot of work and their Saturday person called out. Then I gave her the, "And we could use the money." That did it, she didn't ask anymore questions.

I felt bad but I was doing it for us. Her mortage was paid in full but the property tax was piling up and soon they would try and take the house from her. Then we'd both be out on hour asses. Medical bills were piling up. They had threatened to stop sending Angela. I was against that for mulitple reasons. Then there was the other bills, electric, gas, etc. In which I had just lied to the electric that I would pay next Friday so they would leave it on. I wasn't going to have that much money by Friday... unless everything went well today.

I didn't want to be cheated. Although I knew I would be cheated. So I opted lessen the amount that I would be cheated by borrowing a suit from Richie. I thought it would be harder to cheat someone in a suit than a person in jeans and a t-shirt.

I got to the agreed restaurant. It was a old hot dog stand. But damn were their hot dogs good. It was right across the street from Stonerose. I remember going there a lot with my dad. One of the only vague memories I have of my father. My grandmother told me how much he loved their hot dogs.

I thought I would recognize whoever I was meeting. It is a small town and despite the way their name makes them sound, "Stonerose", it wasn't a huge place or some kind of major opperation. Stonerose was a private, non-profit organization with a pretty building and barely enough money to maintain it. Anyone who comes to work with or for Stonerose did so because they were passionate about archeology.

So when the large Samoan in a business suit and briefcase came up to shake my hand my first thought was, "Who the hell is...". Well to be honest my first thought was, "Oh my god he's huge." Then I thought, "That thing has got to be tailored." Then I thought, "Who the hell is this."

In no way shape or form did this guy fit in to my town. I was immediately suspicious.

"Hello," he said as he offered his hand. "My names Ryan O'Flannigan and this is my associate..." He turned and to my surprise there was a small, frail looking man standing behind him. "Finster Axelrod"

I went to shake Finster's hand. His hands were cold and felt like if I gripped to hard they would shatter. He looked timid and scared to look me in the eye. He gave me the creeps.

"Shall we sit," Ryan asked as he extended his large arms to a booth. Ryan spoke very proper. He had this air about him that scared me too. Not like Finster. Finster gave me the creeps like he was a serial killer. Ryan scared me for different reasons. One Ryan O'Flannigan sounded like a made up name. But two, he seemed too proper. Like it was an act. One false move and I will see who this large man really is. He didn't have to threaten me, his whole persona was the threat.

We sat down and Ryan didn't waste any time.

"We would like to buy your entire coin collection," Ryan said.

I began to feel uncomfortable. I think I was having second thoughts.

"Um, who are you guys," I asked. "I thought you said on the phone you were local collectors?"

They looked at each other for a moment then back at me. "We have offices in Seattle. We are here to purchase these coins on behalf of our employer who is a large collector."

Seemed reasonable. It almost put me at ease. Then why do they still look creepy.

"You know," I started and from the looks on their face I could tell they knew what was coming. "I'm just having second thoughts here. My grandmother was pretty attached to this collection. I'm sorry for wasting your time. They use to be my dad's..."

They were whispering while I was talking and suddenly Ryan just cut me off, "We are prepared to pay you 10 million right now for that collection."

Well, that shut me up.

"Now I'm sure that sounds low for a collection of that magnatude," Ryan explained. "But the collection in your posession is priceless and most would expect you to donate rather than sell, Thus, you would have difficulty getting anymore than I am offering you right now with no strings attached."

Pressure! What do I do? What would you do? The guy made a valid point.

"How do I know I will get this money," I asked.

"Simple," he said with the greatest of ease, as if it were no big deal. "We sit here and call your bank and verify the transfer."

And then he reached into his jacket and pulled out a cell phone. I was impressed... Hey back then having a cell phone was a big deal.

He passed the phone to me and I spoke to the bank person and she verified my identy, social, license, my security question... The whole nine yards. They she verified my new balance, ten million one hundred fifty two dollars and eighty four cents.

My body felt numb as we stood up and he held out his hand. We shook hands and then I handed him the notebook with the coins. I stood there and just watched them walk away. I was trying to comprehend how much money I had now. I was trying to figure out how I was going to explain this money to my Grandmother now. Would I tell her the truth or make up a story? If I made up a story what would I make up? Then I considered not telling her at all. Just magically have money.

I began walking away when the guy who was cleaning up our table called to me, "Hey!"

I looked back still a little dazed.

"You drop this," he asked? He held up the Mastodon coin.

I walked over and took it from him, "Thanks I said."

I looked around for Ryan and the creepy little man, but they were long gone. For a second I was worried. Was this going to be a violation of our deal? Were they going to take away my money? Oh, my god! Take me to court! But then I thought about it. They never once asked to look at the coins. All they knew about were the ones I spoke of on the phone and I defiantely never mentioned this coin. I've never seen this coin before. I shrugged put it in my pocket and went home.

As I drove home I decides I couldn't lie to her. She had raised me better than that. Plus once she knew how much I got for it all how could she be angry.

"You did what," she screamed!

I was so wrong.

"Mrs. Taylor you really shouldn't get excited like this," Angela said. Then she shot me a look like I was the biggest jerk she had ever seen.

"That was your father's," She screamed. "That was all I had left of what represented him."

"You still have the statues and stuff," I tried to defend myself.

She shook her head. Her anger quickly turned to crying. "You don't understand. That collection was his pride and joy. I use to watch him going through those, looking up their history, polishing them."

Then I remembered. I was young but I could remember too. He did sit at the dinning room table with those. Him and grandma.

"I have so many wonderful memories of your father with those coins," she continued. Angela tried to shut her up and calm her down but grandma seemed insistant on explaining to me just how horrible my act was. "I would sit with my coffee and he would tell me stories of where the coins came from, what they were made of, stories behind them. I never really understood what your father did for a living but at least when we sat around those coins I got to see what a wise man my son turned out to be."

My grandmother died that night. The doctor said she died peacefully in her sleep and that is what I continue to tell myself. Even though there is a little part of me that feels I had something to do with it. A little voice inside tells me I sold my grandmother's life for 10 million dollars. So for that reason I maintain 10 million dollars in my account at all times. I refuse to spend the money that killed my grandmother. I simply live off the interest.

So that's the story of how I got the coin.

Oh, how did I come to first use it and find out it had powers? That's a different story.

**-Pterodactyl-**

That bald guy's story reminded me of this time I found these really awesome shoes!

I was shopping on Rodeo Dr. It was my birthday and my daddy gave me his credit card to buy myself presents. He had to work, per usual, so I was off to fend for myself. I didn't mind. I just called up my friends and we went shopping.

It was sooooo much fun. Daddy said not to worry about the money, just spend however much I needed, just to be considerate. I'm considerate. I don't know why he had to say that. Later I found out he called the credit card company and said to cut it at 100 grand. Asshole.

Anyways, it was still fun. We had lunch at McComick and Schmick. Great sea food! So awesome! Then we bought some cloths. I bought this cute little outfit with these little red silk strapies that go from my lower back to the top. I loved it. I got so many looks from guys when I wore it.

So since I had the outfit I had to find some nice shoes to go with it, 'cause the plan was to go to the club that night and hoe it up. Lol! Ahhhh! That's what me and my girlfriends call it when we go hunting for guys.

We go to Gucci, 'cause if you go anywhere else for shoes you are crazy. And as soon as we walk in I saw them. Oh my god, I wanted to cry they were so beautiful. And I swear they looked like they were made for my outfit... but good thing they weren't, 'cause that would be just cheesy. They were black, made from alligator skin, had this almost spiral heal. The cutest pumps you've ever seen. Whatever happened to those? Oh I think Kat borrowed them and never gave them back. Bitch.

So I get the shoes in my size and I go up to the counter to pay for them. There we were, me and my two bestest friends in the whole world laughing and talking, I can't remember their names. I stopped hanging out with them when it turned out they were lesbians and fucking each other. They wanted me to join in but I was like, "Hey, I like dudes."

Anyways, there we were laughing and talking when that cunt, I still remember her name on her name tag "Lilit", stupid little Chinesse chick, "Your card was declined." I swear she said it like she was enjoying it. Probably poor.

Luckily I had cash on me so I gave the bitch the money and she gave me back my change.

It wasn't till we got to the cafe for some coffee when I noticed the bitch gave me a canadian quarter. Well, it turned out not to be a canadian quarter, it was the Pterodactyl coin. But me and my friends thought at the time it was canadian. But how I found out it wasn't Canadian is a whole other story.

**-Triceratop-**

I didn't want to walk away. That man seemed like he was sincere. I didn't sense any bad vibes from him. I even saw my coin glow in his presense. The other ranger's coins glew also. Not super bright like a lame saturday morning tv show, but slightly. Probably why no one else noticed. But according to his story it would make no sense why the coins would do such a thing. Unless he's hiding something.

So I decided to walk away. Gain some distance. Then hide and see where he goes.

I found a tree high enough to see the spot where we were but far enough that I couldn't be spoted.

I could see him. He hadn't left yet. He was studying the spot where the crash happened. I zoomed in my view from my helmet to get a closer look. As I did so, he pulled out a device. It looked like a handheld computer. Back then that was space aged, Jetson type technology. Something a geek like me drools over. Today we call it a iPhone or Black Berry. He was waving it over the ground then putting it up to his ear. I tried to turn up the volume in my helmet but the surrounding traffic was too loud. Stupid L.A. and its traffic.

He turned his back and began inputing something. This was my chance. I zoomed in closer to get a better look at the device. It was touch screen and all. He was covering half of the screen of the device so it was hard to focus my helmets view. Now, bear in mind, this is 1993 so I was unaware of technology like this and years have past since so I'm not sure if he was emailing or texting but I could see the name of who he was communicating with. Someone named alpha_5, and I could see part of his message. "Trail cold. Rangers out. Need to..." and that was it.

alpha_5. I knew that screen name. It was the name of the person who led me to my coin. It was 2 years ago, my senior year of High School. Now bear with me I'm a horrible story teller. Well, either I'm horrible or extremely good. It depends on your preference in story content. I tend to be too accurate. As my classmates would say, "OH MY GOD! Get to the point already!" This was before the OMG Revolution.

My dad was a inventor. He had a wild imagination and a curiosity to bring it to life. But unfortunately for him, being an inventor was a competive field and my dad was far from the competive type. So his desire to be an inventor always remained a hobby. But he made a great living working as a private contractor for inventors who were successful. Basically doing tedious work they didn't have time for. He helped them complete major projects on tight schedules.

In December of 1990 he got a call from a man representing Tim Berners-Lee, an English scientist with a wild idea, The World Wide Web. They worked for a company called "CERN" and planned to pitch the idea in about 6 months. They needed my dad to take some ideas they had and make them work, such as emailing, messaging (some early concepts on messenger type platforms). They had some glitches on the internet itself and didn't have time to deal with the commercial type features.

My dad was very excited. Plus they paid him a lump sum upfront so it made for an awesome Christmas. I remember hours of sitting with my dad as he worked on the concepts. I had been into it before but I think this is where my interest into technology was thrown over the edge. The Star Trek geek inside of me was like, "YES! The time has finally come!"

It was 3 months before the deadline and my dad was getting nervous. But this happened with every project he ever worked on. In my view crunch time was where my dad did his best work. He was yet to miss a deadline and not amaze. My dad is brilliant. So one night I had a hard time sleeping. I went down to the basement, or better known as my dad's workshop. I often came down here on restless nights. I would tell myself it relaxed me but in reality it just riled up my brain. We really are our own worst enemy.

Like a foreshadow to the rest of my life, the computer CERN had sent over for my dad to work on called to me. Like future nights to come, I sat in front and connected to the internet. If you thought dial up was bad, shit, this predessor was worst. I had time to go upstairs, brush my teeth, take a shit, make a sandwich, and still have to wait 10 minutes when I got back.

When I finally got on it was really disappointing. Not much was on there. Several companies, I suppose the ones investing in the project, had sites talking about their companies, background and history, blah, blah. Some of it was interesting but for the most part it was boring. I could now see why they needed my father.

Boredom could be a corrupting emotion. I was still not tired and now my curiosity was taking hold on me. I decided to look at the emailing site my dad was working on. I know he hated it when I messed with his stuff but it was calling to me. I was curious what was frustrating him so much. I tried asking him but my dad was funny about these things. He hated talking about the issues he was having. He would say, "Talking about it just confuses me more." I always thought the opposite. Talking about things sometimes put it into perspective. But I guess me and my dad couldn't be alike in everyway.

For the most part the screen is exactly as you see it today. Inbox, outbox, Create new mail, Address book, etc. The only difference to what my dad was developing and what email ultimately became was that what we call URL today, was the email my father was trying to figure out back then was how to have mail delivered to the computer but protect it from Web terrorist, later to be called Hackers. See my dad was attempting to make the email a computer application and not a feature on the World Wide Web. Later, CERN would insist on making it a feature. Main purpose being was that the idea was to make the public pay for there email service like a phone bill. I don't know what ever happen to that.

Anyways, I began looking at my father's creation. Seeing it for the first time at this level was amazing. Then there was a sound, like a bell. For a moment it scared me. I thought I touched something I shouldn't have. I looked to see what I did. On the inbox I saw "New Mail". I thought maybe my dad got it working and just didn't say anything. Odd, normally he'd be bragging. Then I thought, that would mean someone got it working on a different end... I had to check.

I clicked on the inbox and it said, "To: Bill Cranston From: alpha_5" My dad at the time was yet to think about message titles. I thought it was for my dad. I'm Jr. I was feeling guilty but my curiosity was now in full swing and I couldn't help myself. I wanted to see what an email looked like.

I'm not sure what I was expecting. But I certainly was expecting more than what I saw. It looked like a regular text document. I was expecting something more jazzed up, eye appealing. I began to read.

It read: "Dear Bill Cranston, You don't know me and we have no mutual friends. I have some important issues to discover with you and a gift if circumstanse are in order. Please meet me at the southwest side of Woodland Park as soon as possible. The spot under the tree. Time is of the essence."

At the time I didn't see anything too odd. I still assumed the message was for my father. To me it sounded like business. Some of the wording I couldn't understand. "Issues to discover," seemed odd. Most would say, "Issues to discuss." The place to meet with out a exact time. But then I assumed it was one of those things the receiver of the message would understand.

I found myself falling asleep, so I got up and went to bed. The next morning, my dad came up to the kitchen where I was eating breakfast. He was upset.

"Hey, were you messing around with the computer last night," he asked me?

I was nervous to answer, "Yeah."

"Why didn't you shut it down," he said. "Now it is running slow."

I didn't quite understand it but the earlier version of the internet would slow down if they were left on too long. Something to do with using more and more memory the longer it was on. They worked out the issue later. Someone else had that job.

"Sorry dad," I simply said.

He shook his head and started to walk away. I decided to try and win his favors back.

"But congrats on getting it to work," I said.

He looked back at me confused, "What do you mean?"

"The internet mail," I said. "You got one last night."

He looked at me like I was crazy, "That's impossible, I'm the only one in the world with email."

"You sure," I asked. "I got one last night. It was for you. Something about meeting someone at Woodland Park? In your inbox?""

He looked at me like I was crazy then laughed, "You sure you weren't sleep walking?"

Then he walked downstairs. He left me wondering. Was I crazy? Was I sleeping?

It would be three days. I part of me was waiting to hear my dad say, "Oh, you were right. I did get an email. You know what happened was..." then he would explain it and we'd have a "Ahha" moment. "That makes sense," kind of thing. But it never happened. Even that first night I returned to the computer and the email was gone. I messed around with it too. To see if I could find it. Even looked in that "Trash" folder I didn't notice at first.

The following two days drove me insane. But my dad wasn't the type you wanted to irritate either. That would be stupid. He wasn't a violent man. I wasn't afraid he would hit me in any way. He'd just yell really loud and with anger. Being that he's my father, I found that intimidating. Plus, I didn't get an allowance, but he did buy me things from time to time, so staying on his good side became a priority in my life.

So on the third night, I decided to go to the park. See if I found anything. I had decided kind of late. Like 10pm on a Wednesday night. A school night. In which this meant leaving was forbidden at that time of night. Luck for me, my dad was making a lot of head room on the project and he often celebrated these types of accomplishments with going to bed early. (Or so I thought. A year or so later I found out "Going to bed early" for code for him and my mom having sex. But we won't go into that.)

I snuck out the window of the basement as soon as my parents "Went to bed." The park wasn't that far from my house. It was a one bus trip dropping me off on the corner of 50th and Aurora. When I arrived I considered turning around and just going home. I checked my watch and it was almost 3 am and this park looked scary at night. I actually started checking my wallet for bus fare when suddenly I was filled with courage. I wasn't sure what it was. All of a sudden, I was still scared, but had just enough courage to put my wallet away and head into the dark park.

Sure they had lights but that doesn't help when it is surrounded by tall trees, plenty of hiding spots and strange noises. And of course the trailer I choose to take had the least lights and the few lights it did have had trees covering them so they were diffused by the leaves.

Then I turned this corner and saw the scariest thing. There was a batch of trees off to my left creating this type of black hole image and to my right was a flower patch and in the middle walked an old lady with a cane. There is nothing scarier than an old lady with a cane walking in the dark at 3 in the morning. Something about those wrinkles, her age, and her seemingly vunerability. Almost like you are being set up.

But at that moment I didn't have the time to consider all that. Like someone coming up behind you and saying, "Boo!", a guy ran pasted me bumping my shoulder. He ran start to the old lady and grabbed her purse.

The lady screamed, "Ahhh! Oh my god! Help!"

Normally I would not know what to do and hover around looking for someone else to be the hero. But that strange energy that had motivated me to enter this park was still surging through me, maybe even stronger now. Mixed with the adrenaline created by the situation, I bursted after the man.

Reflecting on the moment now, I was running faster than I have ever ran. Almost super speed. The guy had a good head start on me and I ran up to him like a freight train knocking him to the ground. He had a ski mask on. We struggled. Me and him playing a game of tug of war with the purse. Then as if he realized the game was pointless he stopped and we met eyes. This is when I noticed that we had dropped to the ground in the one spot that had the best lighting, 'cause I could see his eyes. Something about his eyes. They looked like two glass eyes. Not real. And even though his mouth was covered I got a sense he smiled at me. Right at that moment he let go of the purse and pushed me off him. I fell on my back, purse in hand, and watched him run off. Disappearing into the dark.

I stood up and walked up to the lady who still seemed very terrified. "Here you go, ma'am," I said.

"Oh thank you so much, young man," she said grabbing her purse. "God bless you."

"Let me walk you home," I said. "Walking this late is dangerous."

"I'll be fine, son," she said. "Let me give you something for your trouble." She began reaching in her purse for what I thought was money.

I shook my head, trying to be the noble one, but like anyone else in my position, and you know it's true, deep down in side you hope this, "No" "I insist" "I did it cause I wanted to," "Please take it" ends up with some money in your hands. Especially when you are a young teenager like myself who's parents are too cheap to give you an allowance.

"No really, ma'am," I said. "I would like to walk you home though."

She shook her head and handed me a gold coin. "I insist. On both issues," she said with a smile.

I would have fake fought a little longer, but the coin caught me in a trance for a moment. It had a heirogliphic type image of a triceratop on it. It looked like a coin out of the Roman erea, or something that ancient. I shook myself out of the trance and looked up.

"This looks...," but she was gone. "Really expensive."

I crawled back into the basement. I figured if anyone was up and saw me coming out of the basement it would be less suspicious than coming in through the front door. But apparently my parents were still "gettting ready for bed." As I passed by their bedroom I could see the light leaking out from under the door.

I was laying in my bed staring at the coin thinking about what had happened. I was strangely excited and proud of myself. I almost wanted to run to my parents room and tell them all about it. "Heck, they were obviously still up, right," I thought. But I couldn't. All they would hear is how I disobeyed their rules and put myself in danger.

But hell, is this what their rules were keeping me from? Excitement? The rush of Danger? I wanted more. Then the feeling that came after. The graditude of a person that you helped. Someone who, if you weren't there, would have lost their purse with money and important cards and ids.

I'm wasn't sure the coin came from, or how much it was worth, but I didn't care. I looked at it like it was a trophy, a representation of the good I did that night. I was proud of myself. Even though I disobeyed my parents, I did something good. Maybe fate led me there that night. To help that old lady. And fate was above my parent's house rules.

Then that is when I said it. I'm not sure why. I was just in the moment. Proud of myself, confident and feeling strong. I rubbed my thumb over the image of the coin and said it, "Triceratop."

To the outside observer a morph may seem instantaneous. But for the person going through the morph, it is anything but fast. It is as if time slows down around you. Your mind feels like it is racing a hundred miles an hour. And your body feels like it is suspended in air but you can't move. You can't even turn your head. You're completely immobile.

Another outside observation would be that the suit comes out of thin air. When it first happens it is terrifing. The coin seems to pull nutrients from your body out through your pores and creates the suit. From what I can gather, it pulls the best of nutrients, calcium, iron, vitamin C, etc. Morphing has made me very wary of junk food and my vitamin intake. Ask Kimberly about the time she wasn't drinking enough milk and her helmet cracked. Milk, does a suit good.

When the morph was complete I jumped off my bed and looked in the mirror. "Woe," I said. What else can you say?

Zordon started to move. Whatever it was he was looking for he appeared to be giving up. He began walking towards the path leading to the main road. Normally I would take to the sky and follow him that way, but in the case of Zordon I thought that would be a bad choice. He knew of us and might be looking out for something like that. So keeping to the ground would have to do.

I dropped out of the tree to the ground ready to do some running, but I was startled by a large Samoan in jeans and a brown tank top and some tall white guy in a military uniform. For a slit second we just stared at each other. Then the big one spoke.

"Look, Rito," said the large one. "It's a Ranger."

The fact that he knew what I was stunned me. And that was all he needed. So fast I couldn't defend myself, he delivered a punch that slammed my head against the tree. The double whammy of the punch and then the slam against the tree left me on the ground dazed. If it wasn't for the protection of the helmet I would have been left out cold. I looked up and he was in the midst slamming his foot on my head. I rolled out of the way barely missing it.

I sprung to my feet and got the biggest head rush and could barely stay on my feet. With my blurred vision I watched at the two men in front of me morph. It was the most discusting thing I have ever seen. The Samoan grew dark black hairs and his nose concaved into his face forming a more ape like nose. The white guy... it was like watch a balloon deflate. He was literally left skin and bones.

With evil grins they walked towards me. I was still recovering from the punch and fear had taken over me. The only thing I could think of was to take to the air.

My flight reflected my dizziness. Very out of control. And as I took off I heard the ape say, "Oh, no you don't!"

I looked down and I saw him spread wings. All I could think was, "Damn I'm F'ck!"

- Sabertooth Tiger: Prologue-

Damn car rentals. This is what I get for being cheap. And now that I think of it, as if my dad would be lenient on me just because I was cost affective. I pretty much ran away from home and used his credit card without his permission. I should have just came here in style.

I popped the hood and got out of the car. I lifted the hood and looked. "I have no idea what to look for," I said to myself.

And that is when I saw it. Like a shooting star shooting up. "What the hell it that," I said to myself.

I could barely make it out but it looked like something with wings was flying after the shooting star. I had to know what was going on.

"Sabertooth Tiger," I said to morph.

I zoomed in my helmet view and my heart stopped. It was the Blue Ranger and punching him back to the ground was it!. The thing that killed my grandfather.


	4. Ep 4: Origins Part 3

**Origins: Part 3**

**-Sabertooth Tiger-**

It was two years ago, I was just finishing up my freshman year... wait a minute... that's not right... Sophmore year, Christmas Break. More like 2 1/2 years ago. That is when it all started. My grandfather owned a small fish shop in China Town, Chicago. I helped out any chance I got since I was in the 5th grade. It made me feel like a "big girl". I know it sounds silly but I always enjoyed feeling useful.

So I enjoyed helping out my grandfather. And over the years he became more and more dependant on me. He went through employees like water so I was the one with the most experience in the store. I knew what went where and what needed to be done, what sold and what customers liked and demanded. In some cases more than grandpa.

December 21, 1990 was the day I got my coin. In some way's it was given to me as a birthday gift. Being that it was my 16th birthday and all.

The family was taking me out to breakfast. Ihop to be exact. But my grandpa needed to pick up some paper work to drop off at the post office. Problem was I put them away somewhere I couldn't remember. So the famiIy went to get a table while me and grandpa stopped by the shop.

I was in the back office looking for the papers when I heard the big commotion in the kitchen. Grandpa was checking on the workers when Javier discovered something one of the fish he was cutting.

I got back there and saw grandpa at Javier's table.

"What are they," one of the workers' asked.

"They look old," another said.

"They look expensive," Javier said. "I thought someone had put weight in it Mr. Kwan. To cheat you. That is why I cut it open."

My grandpa saw me in the doorway and waved me over. I walked over to the table and saw four coins on the inside of the fish Javier had cut open. Blood and... stuff covered them. I try and remember now which coins they were but at the time I didn't realize what i was looking at, so I wasn't paying attention.

"What are they, grandpa," I asked.

My grandpa wasn't disgusted very easily. Heck he was dealing with dead fish, blood and guts since he was a teenager so just picking one up with his bare hands was nothing. And I never liked showing people I was weak so I pretended like it didn't make me want to throw up.

My grandpa looked at the coin, almost examining it even though I'm sure he didn't know what to look for and said, "Something very old, and probably very expensive," he said.

Everyone responded with a "Oh," as if he said something very profound, even though he said what we were already thinking.

He ran the coin threw the water in the sink next to him. He dryed it with his shirt then handed it to me.

"That one is for you," he said. "Keep it safe."

I took it and admired it, "Thank you, grandpa."

He nodded then looked at Javier, "Clean the rest and put them in my office."

Javier nodded. We went to breakfast and that was that. I didn't exactly care. I just threw it in my jewelry box and forgot about it.

My grandparents lived next door to us and often came over in the morning for breakfast. Our kitchen had large double sliding doors which looked out to the left side of the backyard. My grandparents had the mirror image. So I have many memories of sitting at the breakfast table, eating cereal and watching my grandparents walking across our yards making their way to breakfast.

It was a few months later as we ate my grandpa asked, "Where is that coin I gave you?"

The way he asked sounded like he may want it back. I began to think. I honestly couldn't remember.

"I may have put it in my jewelry box," I suggested. I threw everything in there. For some girls a jewelry box is an over glorified junk draw. "You want it back?"

He quickly shut his eyes and shook his head. It was his way to express that you have greatly misunderstood him. "Just continue to keep it safe and don't let anyone know you have it."

"Why," I asked.

"Because, it is very valuable. And many people want it," He explained. "Good people and Bad. I gave it to you as a gift, but I don't want my gift to get you hurt."

And that's all he said about it. He quickly changed the subject, asking me about school and asking what time I would be able to make it to the shop that day. It was shipment day and he often liked having me there to over look the employees and make sure they put things away correctly.

He made me curious about the coin and I dug it out before I went to school. Over the next several weeks I carried it around with me everywhere. Looking and admiring it on the bus, or running it through my fingers as I lay in bed studing or listening to music. It first started as excitement that I had something really expensive and valuable. But then it just grew into a facination with the coin itself. I got a strange energy whenever I held it. I became curious about the image on the coin. It looked worn, probably because of the water and fish eating it. I couldn't seem to make it out.

I brought it with me to school one day. Well, on the day.

"Can you tell what it is," I asked my friend Richie.

He looked at it for a while. Squinted his eyes and all.

"A chupacabra," he said. Sounding more like a question.

I snatched it out of his hand, giving up on his help.

"Its hard to tell," he defended himself. "It looks really old and the image on it looks kind of worn."

I looked at it. Considering Richie's observation, "If a fish ate it, I guess it was underwater for a while," I said.

Richie huffed, "A while? Try several thousand years."

"Whatever," I said as I started to pack up my books.

We were studying at the library next to the school. We went to Foreman High School off of Belmont. Me and Richie always came here to study. It was much quieter than the school library. And this week was finals.

"Where you going," Richie asked, as if he didn't know. We went through this every time. But I have to admit, I enjoyed it.

"To my grandpa's fish shop, duhhh," I said, pretending his question annoyed me.

"I thought we were going to the movies," he said.

"That's later on tonight," I corrected him.

Then he rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"What," I asked.

"I thought you meant after we studied," Richie said. He really looked disappointed. "I'm suppose to go somewhere with Monica."

I shook my head, "That's fine, Richie."

I turned to leave but he called out.

"I really wanted to go," he said.

I looked back and he looked too sincere and cute. How could I be mad. I was frustrated though.

"Its fine. Really," I said. I began to walk away then turned back. "I know it is none of my business, and I'm not making us to be anything more than what we are but if you're always trying to get away from her, why are you with her?"

He just sat there quiet, staring at the table. As if I shouldn't have called him on it.

"Can I call you later," he asked, avoiding the question. I guess I got my answer.

"Yeah," I said and started to walk off.

"It's complicated," Richie finally answered.

I looked back, nodded and left.

Complicated. As were me and Richie. See we weren't dating behind Monica's back. Even though I'm pretty sure Monica thought that. She just couldn't say much about it since me and Richie have been friends since the 3rd grade. Well she did try to forbid Richie from hanging with me when they first started dating last year, but Richie refused.

I've always had a crush on Richie and I have a feeling Richie feels the same way. Why we never started anything, well it's complicated. To sum up, I guess we were both to worried to mess up what we already have. A cool friendship. And I think Richie's dad is racist. Oh, he's nice to me to my face, but it's that fake nice you know. The "if Richie wasn't my friend" kind of thing.

Although of late things have been changing. We haven't had sex or anything like that but a couple months before this day Richie kissed me. Then the next time we saw each other, we were studing up in my room. My parents are cool with that since he is almost part of the family. Well, we didn't get much studying done cause it quickly turned into a make-out session. Almost an hour. His hands going places and all. But I got freaked out when he started unbuttoning my shirt. So we called it a night and he left. After that little things like that kept happening here and there. He even became more protective of me and gentleman like.

Strange part is we never talked about it. The kissing and making out. We just did it. Afterwards we wouldn't say a word. We talk like we always did. Except now there is this ackwardness. So to break the ackwardness we either go our separate ways or find a secluded place and make-out.

As I made my way to China Town, walking and taking the bus, I thought about how Richie made me feel. It was a guilty pleasure. Part of me hated it. I prided myself on being a strong, tuff girl. No bullshit. But whenever I was around Richie, and stared into his gorgeous baby blues, GOD I turned into such a girl! I'd just melt. I find myself giggling inside. I hated myself.

So that is the mind set I was in when I walked into the shop that day. Confused about what I was doing with Richie along with the dread of it being shipment day.

So when I saw my grandpa dangling from the hands of... some kind of Man Ape in what looked like golden armor it took me a second to register.

I just stood there staring as blood dripped out of his mouth and down his hairy chin. I looked and he had taken a bite out of my grandpa's neck.

That's when he noticed me. He seemed to wait for my reaction. I don't remember taking the coin out of my pocket but, odd as it sounds, that is when it dawned on me. The image on the coin.

"Sabertooth Tiger," I whispered.

The next few moments are hard to explain. It's one of those things you have to experience for yourself.

The moment I said the words, time slowed down, like bullet time. And it was as if the ape knew what was coming. I was paralyzed as I saw the arm holding my grandpa begin to move. I looked down at myself, probably trying to figure out why I couldn't move. Then I saw it. At the time I thought it was what was paralyzing me. Yellow... goo leaking out of my pores. I was terrified! What was happening to me? I looked back up and saw that the ape was in the midst of throwing my grandpa.

When you morph there is a black out moment. It is the moment when the goo encompasses your entire head forming the helmet. It takes a moment to shape the view. The moment before the black I saw my grandpa's head hit the wall and his neck rip.

When my vision came back, bullet time was over and the ape was right on top of me.

He tackled me. slamming me to the ground. Then he began to slam his fist against my helmet repeatively. Not given me a chance to respond. The pain, despite the helmet's potective cushioning, was unbearable. His punches carried a stength I never encountered that is when I felt it. It was the same feeling I felt before when I would stay up late admiring the coin. Only this time it filled me with rage. All the shit I had been taking from Richie, watching my grandpa die. He threw one last punch and I smacked it out of the way with my forearm. I must have surprised him cause he froze. Giving me enough time to kick him off and to my surprise with super strength. He went flying in the air and slamming against the wall.

I stood up. Finally putting two and two together. It was the coin. The coin was doing all this. When I looked up the ape was gone. I never saw him leave.

I ran to my grandpa but when I saw his body... well, it made me throw up. That is when I noticed the suit was gone. I wasn't wearing it anymore. The coin must have been reacting to my emotions. That is the only way I could explain it.

Which brings us back to the day after the dumpster. There he was. 2 and a half years later. It was pay back time.

**-It's Morphin' Time-**

There he was. After two years I finally find him. The thing that killed my Grandfather. A flying ape. And from the looks of it he was about to kill Blue Ranger.

"Sabertooth Tiger," I said as I morphed.

I quickly fired the rockets in my boots and made a b line straight for the ape.

He was already on the down sweep to finsh off the Blue Ranger. I swooped down after him and, thank god 'cause wings may have manuevering but when it comes to speed they have nothing on rockets. I tackled the ape about ten feet before he could finish off blue,slamming him into the ground. His large structure cushioned my own impact, allowing me to use the momentum to roll to a safe distance.

I quickly stood up, getting a little bit of a head rush. I saw the ape trying to stand, looking like he got rattled by the fall. I couldn't let the opportunity pass me by. I pulled out my daggers and rushed towards him extending them infront of me. I couldn't have been more than 4 feet when a blast came from somewhere behind me hitting the ape and throwing him like 5 feet, hitting a tree before callapsing on the ground.

I looked back and it was the Red Duchebag Ranger. Mr Beefcake holstered his blade blaster and walked over like he had done something good.

"That was a close one, huh," said the Red Duche.

"Yeah," I said. "I nearly finished him and you butted in in the nick of time."

I turned to walk off and Red Duche came after me but infront of us was Skin N' Bones guy. I have to admit, even at this moment, the guy freaked me out. A simple skeleton was less scary than him. He looked worst than the guy in "Thinner". He looked... deflated and the fact that he was still walking around freaked me out even more. Of course Red Duche, with his duche courage, well he couldn't be frightened.

"Alright, you bag of bones," Red Duche said. "We just want to pick up Blue over there and get out of here. And I will snap you if I have to."

He was really eerie. He responded with a devilish smile. Red Duche started to walk towards him but I held him back. I was afraid to provoke... it.

"Hold on," I said. "He gives me the creeps."

"Come on," Red Duche said. "He's skin and bones."

Then he spoke, "Did you know Dinosaurs use to roam these parts."

I don't know what I was expecting, but it definately wasn't this. He began to kind of convulse then grow into, kind of like a T-Rex. Me and Red Duche were frozen in fear. He was now huge, slightly taller than the trees, and no longer skinny. He had the shape of a T-Rex but his arms were a bit longer, his legs not as fat and he still had his pale complexion. "Raaaaaaaa," but he roared like one. And that was enough to get me and Red Duche running.

As we ran I saw Black and Pink helping Blue up. He seemed to be alright. Probably just knocked out for a few secs. But me and Red Duche didn't have time to worry about that. If anything, the way I saw it, we were helping them by guiding this thing away.

We started to approach the main freeway with newly plumped Skin N' Bones guy. I started heading for it till the Red Duche yanked my arm and led me to the right.

"What the Fuc..." I said as he pulled me to keep running.

"The trees are the only thing slowing him down," he explained. "We head to the open road and he'll be running at full spead. Not to mention the innocent driviers."

I had to admit he had a point. We ducked behind a big tree. It appeared Plumpy T-Rex Wanna-Be had lost us. Then he did the most disgusting thing. He reverted back to his original shape. It was like watching a balloon deflate. Except for it is flesh. Then that is when we realized that he was wearing cloths before, and they were shredded when he grew, which made him naked now. A anorexic naked man is not attractive. How the poverty strickened people of Ethiopia and other such places keep having sex is beyond me. I mean they have to be having sex. They keep having all those kids with those boney legs and over inflated stomachs. If I was a woman there, I would not let a skinny ass man have sex with me. I'm already as skinny as it is. I need a man with meat on his bones. Can you imagine boney pelvis banging up against boney pelvis. Jesus, I'm going to be hungry and have to deal with bruises... Oh my god, I sound shallow don't I. I've been hanging around Pink too long.

Sorry forget I said all that. Back to the story.

**-Tyrannosaurus-**

Alright, so I'm going to tell you about how I got my coin, but I don't want to hear any, "Ahhhh," or "I'm sorry," and especially no, "Poor baby" crap. In other words, I don't need or want your pity. Life sucks and then you die. That is what I have learned and that is the key to surviving this world, understanding that concept. Bad things happened to me. Life took a big shit on me. Big deal. I'm just telling you how it happened. I'm not looking for comfort.

With that said, here we go. I grew up the son of a very wealthy man. A CEO type. He wanted me to grow up and be like him. I didn't want to.

See this has bugged me ever since he disowned me. What is it with parents? They raise you from sperm and all the way up 'til high school they lie to you. They tell you, "You can be anything you want!" They say it with excitement, with joy and love in their eyes. So much so that you believe them. They even go as far as to send you to get lessons, play on teams and compete in competitions. Some of them will even show up and cheer for you.

Then, all of a sudden you graduate Junior High and it is like a gear has shifted. Leaving you wondering, "What the hell just happened?" Now they are talking about "responsibility" and getting a "good paying job" with "benefits." And some how, your dream of becoming a martial arts star doesn't fit that description. And it is like a last minute thing too 'cause they basically give you 4 years to come up with something else. And insisting on your dream only causes them to be more vocal about their objection to your dream. The more you insist, the more cruel their words become. Until all of a sudden you find yourself at a stand off with your dad. Follow in his foot steps or remove yourself from his house.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you this is what happened to me. Some of you, I'm sure, can relate to this. Some more than others. But that is how I ended up in Denver, Colorado.

It was 1991, and the UFC was still not in existence. But rumors of something big in the works was circling around the dojos. So doing well in tournaments was being pushed. For some reason dojos thought this would be good for business and they would be included in the Federalization of the sport. As we all know now, it is all about the fighter, not the dojo they come from.

I had been living on my own for only a few months at this time. Still living off of money I had saved up living with my parents and money I won fighting in underground tournaments. My Sensai hated that I did those tournaments but he didn't have to pay my rent and he still insisted that I pay him for training me so I told him to fuck off.

I'm not exactly sure how the rounds went according to my Dojo. Frankly because I didn't give a shit about the other guys. They pretty much knew it too. I was here for myself today. I spent most of my money on getting here and the hotel. I was barely eating. Surviving on Top Ramen and eggs. So the other guys were going to have to fend for themselves.

The first round consisted of surviving two matches and the winner of that match would fight the best of its brother region. The winner of that would then advance to the next round. And then so forth.

I was the first to take the mat. As I waited for the announcer to do the introductions I thought about my long journey here. And how great it would all be if I won. There are many reasons why I enjoy fighting. The thrill, the excitement. The feeling of accomplicement at the cost of someone else's failier. But most of all, 'cause it tells me how much I am not like my father. I come from a long line of fighters, warriors and military leaders. It's only in the recent generations that the men in my family have hung up their warrior garb and picked up the 3 piece suit. Fighting is in my blood. Everytime I take the mat I feel like I am bringing that back.

The bell rang. I was fighting Farkus "Bulk" Bulkmeier. Big boy too. I just barely made middle weight and this guy just barely missed heavy weight. It was a three round fight. I threw a few punches, kicks, highs and lows. He takes them all and smiles. The fat ass smiles at me.

I get one damn hit to the head and I go down. I remember it felt like a 1 ton metal block smacked me in the temple. I couldn't have been out for that long 'cause when I woke up a couple of the guys of my dojo were just jumping on the mat to help me out, and they were declarind Bulk the winner.

As the guys dragged me out I could hear the laughter, and sense the satisfaction from the guys of my dojo. The cocky asshole who came here for himself got what he deserved.

I took the bench. No one was talking to me. Not even looking at me. Even my sensei was too busy with the guy going up next. He probably thought I got what I deserved too.

I had one more fight. I'd show them then. I'll take the first fight as a warm up.

My sensei called for me and I quickly went over

"Hey," I quickly responded. "Sorry about out there..."

"It happens," he quickly said, in a rush and didn't want to have a conversation with me. "We will work on it. Just get to the shower and clean up."

"What," I asked surprise. "I still have one more fight."

"No," he said. "We have one more fighter than the other dojos. First to loose is eliminated. That's you."

"No, no," I started to argue but he shook his head.

"Sorry," he said as he walked away.

After the match my dojo went out to eat. I lied and said I needed to take care of some stuff. It wasn't too much of a lie. I did need to figure out where I was going to sleep that night and how I was going to eat. I didn't have enough to pay for my room that night and I'm sure my stuff was already waiting for me in the lobby. See the movies lie. It isn't as easy as avoiding the person at the desk.

I knew what was going to happen if I ate with them. Their jokes would be the truth and their kindness would be the lies. I ended up at a bar not to far from where the competition was held. I wasn't twenty-one but the owner was cool with fighters and tended not to card if you weren't an asshole. I had decided by this point to throw in the towel and go back to my parent's house. I knew my dad would take me back. Heck that was why I needed to get drunk, 'cause I was about to hear a whole bunch of "I told you so!"

I sat there with the last of my money and had a whole game plan. I was going to drink my money until I had just enough for the payphone on the other side of the bar and see just how sober I was. Sounds stupid but in the midst of my self-pity, I thought it would make it fun.

It was a busy night. Not due to the competition. Something else was going on in the area, I'm not sure what it was, but it was drawing in drinkers and partiers that night. It really helped amplifey how sorry and alone I felt.

I was on my second to last drink. I kept looking for really strong drinks. Cheap, I was drinking well. I really wanted to be trashed when I called my dad. If I was going to fail then I wanted to look the part when he saw me.

I waved at the bartender and he gave me the you're next finger. I remember seeing him with a bunch of glasses in front of him. I began sorting my money. Trying to figure out how much I could spend while remembering about the phone call. I looked up and a guy about my age was trying to wave down the bartender.

"He's coming this way next," I told him. He was leaning on the counter and his waving was shaking the bar a bit. I wanted him to calm down.

"Oh thanks," he said.

I nodded and continued to look at my money. I was pretty drunk but not where I wanted to be. I was playing out the sceniores mathamatically based on how much each drink cost and weighing that against Amy memory of how drunk it can get me. At one point I became concerned on whether I would need enough for two calls. Incase he hung up on me first or if the phone would eat my first call.

"Jason right," the guy next to me asked.

I always hate when this happens. Always catches you off guard and you always consider lying and saying no in fear it is someone you don't want to talk to.

"Yeah," I said hesitantly.

The guy laughed, "Oh, I doubt you remember me."

I felt a little more at ease but the guy looked drunk. And there were people I owed money to. Not anyone as cliche as mobsters or anything. Just people not afraid to get into a fight or make an embarassing scene.

He offered me his hand, "Tommy, you kicked my ass when I was 8."

I smiled and eased up. I didn't remember him but I ran into that a lot. Someone you fought a long time ago and for some reason they remember a nice ego boost and I needed it.

"Nice to see you again," I said.

The bartender came over and asked me for my drink.

"Long Island," I decided. Figured it was strong and I can sit here a bit longer.

Tommy stopped the bartender from taking my money, "hey, if its cool with you dude, I'll take this one."

Automatically pride defends itself, "Ah, no you don't have to do that," I responded.

"No its cool," he said lundging the money in the bartenders hands before I could argue. "Its good sportsman ship," he said with a wink.

I was in no place to argue so I just said, "Thanks."

He looked up and around me, "Are you here by yourself?"

I nodded as I began to sip my drink.

"Scotch and cokes and a kalua," he ordered. "Ah, come and join us."

I shook my head, "Thanks I appreciate it but I'm good here."

"Nah, its cool," he said. "Its my going away party. Tomorrow I leave for basic training. A long ridged training ahead of me."

"Thanks, really," I said pointing to my drink. "But I'm working up the courage to make a dreaded phone call o my dad."

I was afraid I might have sounded a bit rude, but he was beginning to get on my nerves. He couldn't seem to get the hint that I wanted to be left alone

"Oh dude, I'm sorry," he said. "Are you alright?"

I had! "If you have to know...," I started to blow up but was interrupted by a pretty girl who popped in between us.

"What's taking so long with the drinks," was the manner in which she introduced herself.

Then the bartender arrived with the drinks. He appeared to have heard her.

"Oh, Sue," the guy pointed looked and directed her towards me. "This is an old friend of mine, Jason." Then looking to me, "This is my cousin, Sue"

She looked at me unimpressly, "Nice to meet you." Barely even looking at me. More taking advantage of the moment to lean over me and grab her kalua without having to say, "excuse me." The hand I thought she was offering for a shake bypassing mine.

But he made me feel bad. I was about to yell at him and here he calls me a friend.

"You coming," she asked him.

"I'll be right there," he said.

"Tommy," a guy screamed from across the bar with his arms in the air.

Tommy screamed back, "On sec, I'm talking to an old buddy."

So when he looked back at me and asked, "So what were you saying about calling your dad?" How could I not tell him?

I gave him a quick run down of it all. I defied my dad to pursue fighting, I failed at it and now I was crawling back on my hands and knees.

"No," he responded surprisingly.

"Yeah," I explained. "The plan is get super drunk and call dad."

"No I mean you're giving up," he asked with near disgust.

I was starting to feel bad about wanting to give up.

"Well," I said holding up my half full last drink. "This represents the last of my money. Not much of a choice."

With that said I downed the last of it. A shook my head feeling the rush and looked back at my new friend who was just looking at me. He had this far off look like he was looking through me. This guy had to be drunk. He was as trashed as I wanted to be. I was almost jeolous.

Just when I was feeling uncomfortable enough to break the silence he beat me to it.

"It feels wrong man," he said with a slight shake of his head. "I miss it. I still go to a dojo and spar and stuff but I stopped competing. Got too busy with being this military guy."

And that's when I realized it. This guy was who my dad wanted me to be. This guy was me if I had listened to my dad. He is what I would become if I made that call.

"I can't let you do it," he said lifting himself off the counter he was leaning on. He proceeded to reach in his back pocket and pull out his wallet. I was in such shocked Was this guy really doing what I thought he was doing? "I'll give you some money for the motel tonight and tomorrow you call my friend Ernie. He owes me a favor. Just give him this card and tell him Tommy said if he hires you and rents you that room alls squared away."

He then handed me a wad of cash. I wasn't so much silenced by shock as I found myself silenced by the indesicion of accepting the money or not.

"Here's 500 hundred," Tommy said putting 5 bills infront of me. "And the card has his number on the back."

"I can't just...," I managed to get out before I found myself not wanting to finish it. A part of me felt like I was suppose to accept this.

"Please don't take this the wrong way," he said as he began to walk away. "See this is why you beat me. You have more passion than me. I'm not giving you this money cause I look down on you. It's cause I'm looking up to."

And that's when I saw it in his eyes. I think he was high too.

"Sir your change," The bartender called to Tommy.

Tommy walked back and the bartender handed him some change. The coins making that clinging sound. Then Tommy walked over to me and put the change in my hand.

"You're need some change to call Ernie," he said and walked away. His friends teasing him for taking so long.

"About time," Someone said.

"He was cute, did you get his number," another teased.

I looked down at the change and amoung the change was the Tyrannosaurus coin. I of course didn't know what it was at the time, but I do remember seeing it right away. How I came to know what it was, well that's an even longer story.


	5. Ep 5: Biology of the Coins

**Episode 5**

**Separate Ways**

When I awoke Pink was standing over me. The others were in the midst of arguing. I wasn't sure what it was about. Seemed like a lot went on while I was out. Suggesting I was out for longer than a few seconds.

"Well if you hadn't butted in he wouldn't have gotten away," Yellow screamed at Red.

"What exactly were you going to do with your little butter knives," Red mocked. "I saved your ass."

Yellow hollored back, "I would have filleted the monkey. Would have been a lot more affective than your stun gun. Now he's gone."

Yellow seemed to be taking this more seriously than Red.

"Did you see the size of that thing," Red reasoned with her, with a belittling tone. "You wouldn't have gotten close enough to even stab him."

"Fuck you I'm out of here," Yellow said and started to walk towards the path leading to the freeway.

Red walked up to me, Black and Pink stood by and watched. Hard to interpret why they stuck around with the helmets on. No facial expressions to observe.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"Well, I'm out of here too," Red said. "Got work in the morning."

He patted me on the shoulder and started for the path after Yellow. Black extended a wave goodbye as he walked after Red.

Pink stayed behind and looked at me.

"Are we really walking away from this," Pink asked me.

I noticed how I was the only one who used my flight ability for long distantances. At the time I didn't really care to ask why. Although I did notice and was curious why the others were walking. I seemed to be the only one who was using the power of the coin to its fullest capasity.

"Walking away from what," I asked as I walked to the edge of the cliff overseeing the freeway.

"We just stumbled on to something," Pink sounded astonished by my lack of interest. If I knew what she looked like at the time I'd been able to imagine the look on her face. "We also just got attacked for investigating... by monsters... or aliens... who knows. And we aren't going to try and figure this out?"

She was right. Someone clearly didn't want us meddling in whatever happened here. But there was one thing Pink was overlooking.

"There is no we, Pink," I told her. "This is your city. If you're interested then you look into it. I have class in the morning."

And I took to the sky. Even as I was asending to the sky my heart sunk. I shouldn't have said that to her. It was a cruel thing to say. She was reaching out for help. But the others clearly weren't wanting to team up. And their lack of enthusiasm for investigating this as a group made it less appealing for me.

**Red**

See that's why working with others sucks. I stick my neck out for someone else and they don't appreciate it. The others seem nice enough but who knows what might happen down the road. Figured I'd split before talk of what that fight was all about and who that creepy bald, wet, fat guy was all about.

Although I was curious. Never investigated anything before. Wouldn't know where to start.

I was a good distance away from the group and about to unmorph when I heard...

"Red!"

I turned and it was the Black Ranger. Not to be racist but I was being to here it in his voice. He was Black.

"Wait up," Black said jogging up to walk next to me.

"What's up," I asked

"That was crazy," He said, sounding like he wanted to start a conversation.

"Yeah," I said with a lack of enthusiasm. "That Yellow is a real bitch."

"I meant those things that attacked us," Black corrected. "Never thought monsters really existed."

He seemed nice enough and I decided to lighten up. It was a long walk to the bus stop and who knows maybe this guy had a car and could save me some money with a ride.

"Oh right," I started. "Sorry she got me riled up."

"How'd you get here," he asked. I was thinking perfect.

"Bus. Hoping its not too late and the bus is still running at the Getty," I said.

"If you don't mind powering down in front of me I'll give you a ride," he offered. "Where are you headed?"

Damn I hadn't thought of that. I was so concerned about my funds. It would be funny seeing too Rangers riding in a car down the freeway. Might even get pulled over.

"Airport," I said. "I live in New York."

"I'm staying at a motel by there," he said. "It works out."

**Dinner**

"So how was your first day," my dad, General William Edward Oliver, asked as the waitress finished taking our order.

"Not so bad," I said. It was true. Uneventful and I hadn't really started anything yet. "Mostly moving in and getting settled. As I came in we had an assembly and turns out there's a new base commander."

My dad nodded as if he knew already. I'm sure he did.

"Yes I heard," he said. "Don't know her too well, but I've heard good things about her. You should get in good with her. It is always a good career move to make friends with the higher ups."

There was a moment of silence between us then my dad looked me in the eye.

"I'm proud of you," he said.

I was a bit shocked. He'd never said that to me. I was speechless.

"You've done good," he continued. "You been staying away from... the stuff?"

I nodded immediately. "Besides few drinks with the guys after graduation, I've been good."

"Drinks I'm not worried about," he pressed, "Its the other stuff."

I should explain.

Back in high school I got in with a group of friends that were partiers. As my dad says, "They were bad influence on me." In short hanging out with them got me hooked on drugs. What my dad here is talking about is what got me caught. The nail in my coffin sort of speak. Cocaine.

"Yes, dad," I said, hoping it would move our conversation on to lighter subjects. "Haven't touched it since you caught me."

He nodded as to say, "Good."

"Now that you are done with officer school," He moved on, to my relief. "As I promised I've arranged for you to work under Dr. Anton Mercer. He's a sort of jack of all trades."

I was extremely surprised. My dad had a lot of influence but this was one thing I didn't think he would be able to pull off.

"I know who he is dad," I said with excite meant and an involuntary smile.

Dr. Anton Mercer worked on scientific research for the United States Government. His point of interest was Human Origins which was a big interest of mine. I read many of his books and my dad introduced me to him a couple years ago. He wasn't the friendlist of people. I remember he was anxious to get rid of us. Maybe he was busy that day.

I knew why my dad was pushing me to work with Dr. Mercer and I appreciated it. Ever since he found out about my drug use he seemed to feel bad. He'd never admit it, but I suspected he blamed himself.

My dad was never the type to express his feelings. He couldn't. He was a General in the military and he got as far as he has because of his toughness. Expressing emotions showed weakness.

But I suspect the incident with me forced him to see things differently. When he asked me why I got so deep into drugs I responded, "Because it opens my mind. I helps me think of things I never thought of before. I have so many questions and no answers."

I think he saw my interest in palentogy and decided to make up for ignoring me growing up, and to show me a better way of getting my answers.

"I suppose you do," my dad said handing me my new orders. "Report to him in the morning."

**Pink**

"There is no we, Pink."

That's what that asshole told me.

How could there be no we? Besides the color, the coins gave us the same suit. It was frustrating. I didn't know what it was but it was staring me right in the face and it felt like no one else could see it. A clue to the whole thing and I had a hint of it in my soul.

At the time I brushed it off and decided I'd figure it out and hope the others would jump on board as soon as I could prove it to them. But where to start.

I walked over to the spot the large winged monkey was and use my "training wheels" scanner. There was blood. I think. It was red almost like ours. But it was red like ours. I was almost expecting a different color like in the movies. Anything that is intelligent but not human, in movies, always had a different color blood. But this looked like human blood. I felt like it was a clue. But would anyone else see it that way. I decided taking a sample would be a good idea before it disappeared like the monkey and the dumpster did.

But where to put it? This suit came with a lot of things but a container for samples wasn't one of them. Then a couple feet away I spotted a discarded gatorade bottle.

"That'll work," I decided.

I picked it up and did my best to scoop it into the bottle using a twig I found next to the bottle.

The next step was to have the blood analyzed. I didn't have any scientist friends. At least none that had degrees. I did have a source I used back when I took down the L.A. police force but I really didn't want to. He was fine... fine enough, but his friend, who he alllllways hung out with. I stood and kept thinking for anyone else I could think of but it came down to I had no other choice. I'd have to hit up Eugene.

**Biology of the Coins**

It was getting late. I searched all over the city and no sign of him. The bald guy.

I was feeling a bit guilty about blowing Pink off. I got it in my head that if I could at least put to rest why the bald guy was looking for us I could justify that this whole thing was an isolated incident and go back home to my regular day to day. I really needed to buckle down at school and get back to my studies. I part of me was even beginning to consider this Ranger thing as a problem and thinking I should give it up.

I didn't really have a clue where to look. I don't want you to think I was following any trial or some kind of gadget in my suit was guiding me. I was literally running around L.A. aimlessly, guesstimating. Both as a ranger and not.

I first hit the airport. I remember Yellow mentioned following him here and she's from chicago. That meant airport. I know I literally flew here from Seattle using my jets, but the other Rangers never seemed to depend on their suits like that. I never asked why.

In my civvies, I walked the airport up and down. This was before non ticket holders couldn't go up to the gates, I miss those days. I remember thinking even this early in the search how hopeless this was. I either missed him or he wasn't here. Either way I was searching with out a clue.

After a few restaurant searches that I thought were close enough for him to be at I gave up. If he really wanted our help I decided he'd make a second attempt. I was right.

"Billy," I heard as I was entering a Tommy's Burgers in West L.A.

I turned to see the man who approached us at the Getty. The self proclaimed "owner" of the coins.

We stood and stared at each other not nowing what to say.

"Burger," I offered to break the ice.

We sat down and after a moment of silence I asked, "So you know who I am?"

"I was the one who guided you to your coin," He responded. "My... associate Alpha 5 contacted you."

He was talking to the same contact on his iPhone like device when I was spying on him.

"Why," I asked simply. I didn't know how else to respond. "Do you know me somehow? I don't understand."

"I don't know you," Zordon replied. He seemed to struggle to continue. Like he was searching for a way to explain it to me. "This is hard to explain and we don't really have a lot of time. I can explain it like this. I first got the coins to work when I began to treat them as living beings."

The look on my face must have distracted him cause he stopped for a responce.

"This thing is alive," I asked not sure to be weirded out or laugh in his face.

"All minerals are alive in some way," He continued seeming really confident. I think that is what kept me in my seat listening. He didn't seem like a kook, but he was talking like one. Although with the crazy shit I saw today I thought I should hear him out.

"Most of the mobile life on this planet are sourced from plant life," he began. "All life originated from soil. At the level of soil is where life found its first crossroads. Stay in the dirt or escape it. What your people don't know is that not all life made the same choice. Some life choose to stay in the dirt. That is where the breeds of living stone originate from. The more 'animalistic' breeds, for lack of a better term, are semi-conscious. They live in a dream like world and tend to radiate certain types of emotions. Some live in bitter worlds and radiate anger or greed. Most of these are buried deep and are rarely found on the surface. Most of the surface ones are childlike and harmless. Gold however is one of the highly evolved species of stone. It is highly aware of the world around it. It is a learning stone. It also lives in a dream like state but is more like a daydreamer. At times it is aware that you are you and it is it, but at times of excitement it begins to believe it is you. That is were the "morphing" happens. It draws the nutrients from your body to manifest itself and act out the dream through you."

It all seemed wild and kind of creepy. Had I really been carrying a living thing this whole time and not know it. And his comment that all minerals were alive. Basically... everything. It sounded crazy. So why was I believing him. At least a part of me.

"So why give this thing to me, or the other Rangers," I asked.

"I didn't," he answered. "The coin did. I just helped speed things up."

He saw my confused face.

"Like I said the coin is alive," he said. "They have no legs so they get around by influencing those around them. They radiate emotions, ideas to people. Sometimes making psychic connections with individuals to gain more control."

"So this thing is manipulating me," I said, almost screamed. I attracted some attentions from customers around us.

"That's a negative way of looking at it but yes," he responded. "Like I said these things are innocent. They develope a certain attraction to those who carry a dna. That's how I found you. The coin was circling you for sometime. Trying to influence people around you to get in your hands. I figured out that it was you and arranged for you to be were the coin would be."

"So what's your interest in this," I asked. "From how you describe it doesn't sound like you're the owner."

"I feel responcible for them," he answered. "And there is one more out there, but I'll need you and the others to get it back."


End file.
